Friday, March 31, 2017

Every day with the lightening of the skies, the appearance of patches of green, the scent of fresh earth and the peeping sounds of our feathered friends all a-twitter I am embracing the changing of the seasons. Even when the wind blows the rain sideways and one moment it will be sunny, the next blustery. Spring is here to stay! (That doesn't mean I am putting away my snow-blower....we can have snow into late May and beyond!).

Isn't it a glorious time of year?

We were inspired by the birds, the nests, the thorny branches, the blue skies and the yellow blooms. Let's see what we created!

Now it is your turn! If you created a post someplace about your creation, be sure to share it here to be in the draw for some great prizes!

Thursday, March 30, 2017

First of all, I really want to thank those of you who joined my facebook sharing group, "inspiration in everyday"! I truly appreciate each of you!! So a big kiss to you all.... MUAH!!! You know who you are;)

The random winner of the whale pendant is Rachel Mallis. Congratulations Rachel!! PM me on facebook with your address and I will send this guy off to you!

I look forward to us sharing the things that inspire us in our everyday lives! Inspiration is truly everywhere!! Don't forget to share something that inspires you to create!! Once a month someones inspiration will be featured here on ABS blog. That same person will also win ceramic beads from artisticaos!

The prize for April will be two sets of feather earring charms in the colors of your choice!! If you have not joined the group yet, you can just pop on over here!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Today's Bead Table Wednesday is a fun and easy way to create a wire wrapped nest for your art beads.

Watch the video here:

I used 24" of 19 gauge steel wire. Other wire options include 18-20 gauge copper or colored Parawire in the metal tones from Vintaj. I recommend using wire that is 18-20 gauge for necklaces and 22 gauge for thinner nests like the earrings below.

1. Start a wrapped loop 3" from the end of the wire. Wrap tightly two times and then two times on top of the first wrap to create a messy wrap.

2. String on your bead.

3. Create a wrapped loop at the bottom. Wrap tightly two times and then continue wrapping above the loop.

4. Wrap several times and then begin wrapping the wire closer to the bird. Continue wrapping, working up and down from the bird to the loop until the nest looks full.

5. Trim the wire at the back of the bead, half way across the bead. Tuck the end of the wire into the nest.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

For some time now I have been experimenting and making ceramic beads with the higher fire clay bodies of Porcelain and Stoneware. Previously I pretty much only used earthenware ceramic clay which is also called a low fire clay. The picture above features a porcelain bead on the far left the 2 stoneware beads. I especially like making these beads in high fire clay. They feel both ancient and extremely durable. The ability to stamp and draw on all sides of a hollow beads is a skill I learned from the amazing polymer clay artist Claire Maunsell. She is coming out with an ebook this Spring on surface treatments in polymer clay that you may want to be on the lookout for. I know I will be. And she has a great online class HERE .
I have made a number of these hollow open bottom beads lately as seen below:

I have been using some texture plates of my own which feature wood structure and plants. I have also experimented with drawing on some of the details. Some of the more intricate details are from a commercial stamp.

In this set I experimented with different surface designs

I especially like these shapes

More shape experimentation

For coloration, I have used an iron oxide wash

Iron oxide wash--I diluted it with some distilled water and then painted it on each bead-- using a generous amount and let them dry.

Then I wiped some off with a wet sponge. This is how they looked when I put them into the kiln for the Cone 5 firing. They came out a rich deep dark chocolate brown. See pictures above.

Notebook entry for this firing. I have a small L&L Babydoll kiln--which I love!!.

One of the things I have been trying to do consistently is keep a record in a notebook of what I fire in each load and what glazes and process etc. that I used, as seen in the example above. It is so hard to remember later on.
I also made a lot of hearts that will accompany packages when I send out my work to customers.
These are porcelain.

Small porcelain heart charms

Now that I have all of these tube beads...what am I going to do with them? I am planning to keep some for myself to make jewelry with. And some I am saving for the Featured Artisans Trunk Show April 24-April 28 on the Facebook Group Artisans Create Together.
I am hoping I can come up with a beautiful design with them like Karin Grosset Grange in the necklace below

Gorgeous necklace by Karin Grosset Grange featuring one of my long hollow beads My dream of how one of these beads might be used!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. See you next month with a jewelry designer interview!!
Mary

Monday, March 27, 2017

Hello to all you wonderful Art Bead Scene readers!! Let me
explain my choice of title for this post before you have time to worry where
this post is going!!

I love whales! I have had a couple opportunities to view
them in their natural habitat, and I am awestruck by
them!! Because of my fascination with
whales, I tend to collect whale decor. My
bathroom has a few whale items in it, one being this whale sculpture:

I think it is made of some type of melamine. I got it from Michael's. I thought it was wood
when I bought it but with having kids, it has hit the floor more than
once. Wood would not shatter the way
this guy has. I fear one more fall, and glue
will no longer save my sweet whale! I see this whale daily and have often been
inspired by it. I have been wanting to make a bead size version sculpted out of
ceramic clay. Here is what I came up with when I finally did. He is hand sculpted from porcelain.

So YES!! INSPIRATION IS EVERYWHERE - even the bathroom! I also have a really cool rag style mat in my
bathroom that inspires me as well. I
want to come up with a bead inspired by it, and I am sure I will!!

I am ever fascinated by the things artist find inspiration
from, and what draws them to those things.
How is it that one artist can be drawn to, and inspired by something as simple
as a gourd and others may not even give a gourd a second look? (I'm a totally
gourd fanatic BTW) I truly appreciate the differences from one artist to
another!!!

This leads me to tell you
about a little something I am working on, and hope you might join me in!

I have just created a facebook group dedicated to everyday
Inspiration! The group is called "inspiration in everyday". This group has been created as a means to share the everyday things we take inspiration from to use in jewelry! The group will have art bead focus. All creations shared here should include at least one handmade art bead or component. Art beads and components themselves also highly encouraged! This group is an
opportunity to share our inspirations and encourage one another on the creative
journey.

Once a month, near the end of every month, I will have blog post that will focus on topics centered around inspiration. This will include interviews with artists, plus tips and ideas on finding inspiration! With this monthly post I will randomly choose one persons photo and inspiration from the facebook group to share here on the ABS blog. That same person will also win a
little prize from me (hint: ceramic beads).

I'm really excited and think this will be a really fun way
to share and learn more about what others find inspiring. I also hope it might give more reasons to
seek out inspirations in our everyday lives!

Oh, I so hope you will join me in my facebook group. I just started the group and I am a little lonely with just me, myself, and
I;) Did I mention I am going to giveaway
my hand sculpted whale bead (pictured above) to one member. To be entered into the random draw all you
need to do is click on join here and join the group. You will have to do so before Thursday for
the draw because I will be drawing on Thursday for the winner!

I will leave you with the dictionary definition on the word Inspiration:

Inspiration - (from the Latin word inspirare, meaning to
"breathe into") refers to an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary,
musical, or other artistic endeavor.

Friday, March 24, 2017

I love it when a design comes together with things that I have long-forgotten and neglected in my stash. That is exactly the case for Ditsy Blue with this sweet springtime bracelet. She wonders why she ever had yellow seed beads in here stash...perhaps they were waiting for just this inspiration! I love the sweet little tweeter that she fashioned and the striking blue speckled eggs in the nest. The beaded beads perfectly mimic the flower clusters and the wood brings in the tree branches. Such a great combination of colors and textures!

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest descriptionso that I have someplace to attribute the picture!

And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline March 29thto get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the Monthly Challenge Recap post for March 31st.

TIP: If you upload your photo rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. If you don't, I might not be able to access the photo to share it.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

As jewellery makers we often spend a great deal of time thinking about bead combinations, colour combinations, composition and design styles but when it comes to promoting our work it can be really hard to get the photos just right. I want to share with you some simple ideas that might help push your photography from good to great!

When we share our work online with a view to selling we lose the direct contact a customer has with a piece, they don’t have any tactile connection with our work so we have to create a visual connection and create that ‘want’ feeling. This makes the images we share all important, they need to communicate the story of the piece and make it desirable.

Here are some bullet points to consider:

The background of the photo is as important as the work, it should be in neutral tones and not distract from the work.

Any props should be appropriate to the jewellery, i.e Leaves for an antumnal feel, shells, small pebbles for a summery/beach feeling, soft coloured flowers for a romantic impression. Again these shouldn’t be distracting, if you are capable with your camera settings using depth of field can help props blur into the background slightly.

The colours and props in this one are aimed for a spring time feel, pastel, peppermint, the twigs in the background are pussy willow in bud blurred using depth of field on my camera.

Often what people will connect with will be colour combinations so its really important that when you edit your photos you try and match the colours as accurately as possible.

Consider how you are framing your jewellery, it doesn’t have to be straight on add and prop that allows you to hang earrings rather than laying them flat, or raise a section of a necklace to add visual interest.

These earrings hang from two twigs from the garden, supported on two wooden blocks that are out of frame.

When you are looking for a suitable background a great place to start looking is the hardware store, often you are allowed to take a small piece of wallpaper as a sample, these make

great free backgrounds and often have interesting textures or patterns and come in a great range of colours. These are some I picked up recently.

All neutral tones, some with texture, some flat. Avoid anything with sparkles or a shiny finish, they will reflect light and detract from your final image.

I hope these give you some ideas for interesting photo backgrounds, why not share your own ideas in the comments section.

Monday, March 20, 2017

Earthy Spring Vibes:

By Ashley Bonney-Summer Wind

I have been playing around a lot lately with mixing different elements in my jewelry. When I was designing this piece, I wanted to have some fun bright elements, but I also wanted to keep it earthy. I found that adding leather cord to the end and some natural stone beads kept it nice and grounded.

When I am adding leather cord, I like to take a long piece, fold it in half and then use a crimp end to secure it. I then add a lobster clasp and jump ring for the closure.

I really like using Vintaj Brass Findings because they age really well and are very easy to manipulate. You can see in the picture that I just linked the stone beads using eye pins and jump rings. I'll be sure to post the sizes at the end.

The wood beads on this necklace were tricky, because one hole was very small and the other was larger. I find that wood beads do best when they are secured with twine or hemp. I have tried using eye pins in the past, but I experienced more movement than I like, so I switched to twine. In this case, because the smaller wood bead's hole was much smaller, I had to actually take the twine apart so I had a nice thin piece. I then just made a loop and the top and knotted between the beads and at the bottom.

I hope you got a little inspiration from my post, I am always so inspired by all the ladies that post to Art Bead Scene. I have soooo much to learn, as far as techniques go, and I am so glad that we have so many talented artists here. Hope everyone has fun creating!

Friday, March 17, 2017

This flowering tree pendant looks like it was plucked right out of our painting this month. While I love birds and nests, I also love that this tree is in full radiant bloom and is the focal in this pretty necklace. Those soft milky blue beads feel like fluffy clouds on a breezy spring day. Ahhh....Spring! Come quick! Just three more days!

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest descriptionso that I have someplace to attribute the picture!

And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline March 29thto get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the Monthly Challenge Recap post for March 31st.

TIP: If you upload your photo rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. If you don't, I might not be able to access the photo to share it.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

The fourth designers challenge has been introduced on Facebook and it's all about Spring - daisies and butterflies! Three kits are available to choose from in blue (however, now sold out) but yellow and pink are still available. Every challenge has a guest artist that designs a component, and this round it is the fabulous Anne Gardanne with her enameled beauties. What you receive from Anne is a surprise! This is what is included in the kits with a link on how to purchase one for $20 -

* Design time from when you receive your kit through Friday, April 14th

* Post your design pictures on the group wall on Saturday, April 15th. One picture will be a group shot of a necklace, bracelet and earring pair. Then a separate close up picture of each, for 4 pictures total. (You must use everything in the kit with anything else you want from your personal bead stash).

* Every like and comment on every picture you post is a vote. The group is public so everyone can like your pictures, but only group members can comment. This is a Facebook thing, not mine

:)

* Voting will end at midnight, Friday, April 21st

* A prize will be awarded for public vote of a bead embroidery design and a stringing design. Anne will also have the honor of awarding a prize for the most unique use of her component. Winners will be announced Saturday, April 22nd

Does this sound like something you'd like to do? Then don't wait to buy your kit because they are only available through Sunday, March 19th. 3 yellow and 4 pink remain out of 30 total. Make sure you join the Facebook group - both to see the designs and vote for your favorites by liking and commenting on the pictures when they are posted. Here's the link for that -

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

All I can think about is the coming of Spring and pastels! So, I thought I'd share some unbelievable new art beads I purchased from Kimberly Rogers of Numinosity Beads! I'm already planing my next order! I'm a sick woman...but, please, don't help me...lol

These focal beauties are headpins! They are big and bold but since they are made of polymer clay, are super light weight which allows you to go little wild with the embellishments.

The accent beads are from my dear friend, Kay Mallery! I have a deep collection of her work... 'bout, ankle deep actually! She makes so many colors that you'll need them all! These are from her stringer series, and are a favorite of mine. She tells me these started out as a mistake but it's getting harder to make that "mistake" on purpose! Ahhh, gotta love happy accidents!

To mix things up I added some vintage chain links. I adore the pattern on these links, which look very much like an Egyptian eye! In fact, now that I'm thinking about it....the whole piece has an Egyptian flavor. Funny how that happens even when you don't plan for it.

Well, I hope you enjoy the colors and textures! I appreciate you checking out my little blog post each month!

Monday, March 13, 2017

The urge to nest is common to many different animals, from squirrels, mice, pigs, birds - even fish! - and of course, humans. It makes sense. Shelter is of the utmost importance to survival. So it should come as no surprise that setting up a special spot for the new arrivals is so necessary.

I imagine that the birds building this formidable fortress want to protect their little ones and keep foes from intruding. But I also imagine that the interior is soft and warm and cozy, unlike the thorny exterior.

I love the sweet yellow buds and the distant blue mountains. What a beautiful view to be born into!

I decided on making a clasp for this month's Sampler. I have never worked with an extruder before, but I had bought one a few months ago and this seemed like the perfect project to test it out on. It reminds me of the spritz cookie press that I inherited from my mother. You put the dough...er...clay inside the tube and then squeeze it out the other end through a plate that shapes the clay, in this case, I used one with little holes. I ended up with a lot of brown/tan/grey spaghetti that I then fashioned into a wee little nest. I can see that these other discs will be fun to experiment with for the future!

Then I mixed up some granite and turquoise clay to make the tiniest eggs to nestle in there. I am not sure what color eggs that these birds in the picture lay, but nothing says SPRING to me than little eggs in a nest!

So I whipped up a little bracelet last night to show off the Nesting Instinct clasp that I call "Spring Awakening." A bisque birdie I have been hoarding from Summers Studio (missing you Miss LeAnn!), a branch bead from Humblebeads, some wood chips and turquoise chips as well as some oddball fire agate in a mottled golden yellow and snow white round it out. Up in that branch there looks to be a feather, so I added one to the bracelet to complete the look.

Hurry up, Spring!Each month for my Simple Truths Sampler Club I come up with a bead, pendant or component that is inspired by the monthly challenge here on the Art Bead Scene. I challenge myself to come up with something new, but also teach myself new techniques and tricks. I write a little note with each monthly package that details my thought process and inspirations, my trial and errors. These pieces are offered to the Club members first, but then offered up for sale to the public on a limited basis. You can find out more at www.TesoriTrovati.com.

Friday, March 10, 2017

I have to be honest....I am totally smitten with all things bird-y! So I was really delighted to see this pretty necklace that brings together all the images that I see in this month's painting inspiration: yellow flowers, birds, nests, branches, blue skies. I adore Diane Hawkey's word beads. I have quite a dragon's hoard of them in my own stash. They always strike just the right note in any design. And this one is chirpy sweet! Hurry up,Spring!

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest descriptionso that I have someplace to attribute the picture!

And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline March 29thto get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the Monthly Challenge Recap post for March 31st.

TIP: If you upload your photo rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. If you don't, I might not be able to access the photo to share it.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

We have two very talented artists as our wonderful sponsor for the March Challenge. We will have 2 Lucky Winners this Month!

Tesori Trovati

Erin Prais-Hintz is one of the editors here at Art Bead Scene. Erin has a monthly bead club that you can subscribe to. The lucky winner will get to choose their colors and styles from the new Minutiae collection for the prize.

Erin is donating over $60 in Pendants and charms for the Jewelry Pinterest board winner.

Terri Del Signore is also an editor here at Art Bead Scene. Terri works in clay creating wonderful beads and components for jewelry artists/designers.Terri is donating the "Birds of a Feather" components above valued at over $50 for the Monthly Recap winner.